pianoinspires.com

Piano Inspires Discovery

A space dedicated to inspiring the love of piano and music making through educational and inspirational content.

  • Thank You!

    Thank You!

    As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part of the “Power of a Piano Teacher” campaign. We welcome you to celebrate your own…


  • Engaging the Brain: Practice Tips from an Interview with Spencer Myer

    Engaging the Brain: Practice Tips from an Interview with Spencer Myer

    We would like to thank Barbara Fast and Spencer Myer for this insightful interview on practice. Want to learn more about practicing? Register for the free webinar, “#100daysofpractice: Selection and adaptation of self-regulated learning strategies in an online music performance challenge” presented by Camilla dos Santos Silva and Helena Marinho, hosted by Alejandro Cremaschi on…


  • The Joy of Giving

    The Joy of Giving

    As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part of the “Power of a Piano Teacher” campaign. We welcome you to celebrate your own…


  • A Symphony of Gratitude

    A Symphony of Gratitude

    We would like to thank Ricardo Pozenatto for this tribute to his teacher, Diana Dumlavwalla. As we continue the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part…


  • Honoring Amy Merkley and Irene Peery-Fox

    Honoring Amy Merkley and Irene Peery-Fox

    We would like to thank Hyrum Arnesen for this tribute to his teachers, Amy Merkley and Irene Peery-Fox. As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their…


  • Thank you, Jane!

    Thank you, Jane!

    We would like to thank Sara Ernst for this tribute to her teacher, Jane Magrath. As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part…


  • She Really Took a Chance on Me

    She Really Took a Chance on Me

    We would like to thank Asia Passmore for this tribute to her teacher, Ms. Tamara. As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part…


  • Peer Connections: Reflections on Bridging into the Professional Life

    Peer Connections: Reflections on Bridging into the Professional Life

    The Frances Clark Center is excited to launch Peer Connections, a virtual gathering of young professionals to engage with relevant topics and develop a global network of peers. The first Peer Connections: Bridging into the Professional Life will be held on Friday, November 17, 2023, 6:00-7:30 PM EST. Join us as professionals in our community share their experiences and…


  • The Joy of Giving

    The Joy of Giving

    As we enter the season of gratitude and giving, we pay tribute to piano teachers from around the country who are transforming the lives of their students. Students, parents, and colleagues are honoring piano teachers from their communities as part of the “Power of a Piano Teacher” campaign. We welcome you to celebrate your own…


  • How Do You Plan A Student’s Repertoire for the Coming School Year?

    How Do You Plan A Student’s Repertoire for the Coming School Year?

    We would like to thank Martha Appleby, Sara Krohn, Leanne Hedges, and James B Lyke for this insightful article about planning repertoire. To read the full article, click here. Although few teachers of my acquaintance indulge in a languid state of inactivity during the summer, it is a time when we re-evaluate the progress of our students…


  • This Month in Piano History – August 2024

    This Month in Piano History – August 2024

    August 8, 1857 French pianist and composer Cécile Chaminade, whose work inspired the creation of numerous women’s musical organizations, was born on this day in Paris. Her initial musical studies were with her mother, but Chaminade also studied privately with members of the Paris Conservatoire faculty after her father prohibited her official enrollment.1 Her career…


  • Breaking Out of the House of Corrections

    Breaking Out of the House of Corrections

    We would like to thank Craig Sale for this insightful article about preparing students for their practice. To read the full article, click here. I will always remember Frances Clark stating that our lessons should not be a “house of corrections.” Instead, she felt we should do all we can to ensure a week of…


  • Body Mapping in the Piano Studio

    Body Mapping in the Piano Studio

    We would like to thank Kay S. Hooper for this insightful article about body mapping. To read the full article, click here. On the count of three, point to the place where your upper arm meets your torso. One, two, three! See Figure 1 below and find the place where you pointed. Most people point…


  • The Benefits of NCKP: The Piano Conference and Why You Should Attend

    The Benefits of NCKP: The Piano Conference and Why You Should Attend

    We would like to thank Marvin Blickenstaff for this article about the benefits of The Piano Conference: NCKP. Want to learn more about The Piano Conference: NCKP 2025? Click here to read about next year’s conference and submit a proposal. Want to hear more from Marvin Blickenstaff? Join our book club beginning September 10, 2024!…


  • The Body and the Beat: Developing Rhythm through Mindful Movement

    The Body and the Beat: Developing Rhythm through Mindful Movement

    We would like to thank Lesley McAllister for this insightful article on rhythm and movement. To read the full article, click here. Movement, for children, is necessary for learning. Young bodies are fine-tuned sensory receptors collecting information, curious and eager to explore the world around them.1 The young child is in a period of sensitivity…


  • Do You Use Summer Lessons for Special Reading Activities?

    Do You Use Summer Lessons for Special Reading Activities?

    We would like to thank Richard Chronister, Mary Ann Letti, and Berdine Ehrman for this insightful article on summer reading activities. To read the full article, click here. Both writers for this issue’s Music Reading Department take the view that summer is special for piano students. A good case can be made for discontinuing the regular…


  • Piano Inspires Kids: Musicians and Athletes: What Can They Learn from One Another?

    Piano Inspires Kids: Musicians and Athletes: What Can They Learn from One Another?

    The Summer 2024 Issue of Piano Inspires Kids is coming soon! Subscribers will be receiving the print issue in their mailboxes in the coming weeks. Not yet a subscriber? Click here to receive the issue and give the gift of music to the musicians in your life! Keep reading for a sneak peek into the…


  • This Month in Piano History: July 2024

    This Month in Piano History: July 2024

    July 1, 1950 Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, whose work in music education made a lasting impression on the field, died in Geneva, Switzerland on this day. He completed studies in Geneva, Paris, and Vienna, working with the likes of Fauré, Delibes, and Bruckner among others. Early on, he became fascinated with rhythm, and while working at the…


Search
piano inspires logo, black with colored stripes in the tail of the piano